March 4, 2007
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue men's tennis improved to 7-0 (1-0 Big Ten) following its 4-3 win at Harvard (1-4) Sunday afternoon.
The Boilermakers' flawless start is the best ever for a Tim Madden-coached team. Madden's 1999 and 1997 clubs both started 6-0 and advanced to the NCAA Championships.
The last Purdue squad to start a season 7-0 was Ed Dickson's 1992 club, which sadly went on to finish 8-14.
The Old Gold and Black was forced to win four of six singles for the third-straight dual after surrendering the doubles point to the Crimson. The Boilermakers' lone doubles victory was claimed at No. 3 by P.J. Rose and Eric Hodgman, who beat the tandem of Scott Denenberg and Chris Clayton, 8-5.
"I don't know if I can take much more of this," said Madden. "It was another long, drawn-out match. But the team battled hard in singles and it was a great win for them."
The Boilermakers righted their ship in singles, winning at the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 6th positions.
Madden adjusted the lineup a little bit, switching around Branko Kuzmanovic and Paul Rose at the top two positions, and watched his gamble pay off.
Kuzmanovic defeated Clayton at No. 1 in a marathon match, 7-6 (8), 6-7 (9), 6-1, and Rose held off Denenberg, 7-6 (5), 7-5. Kuzmanovic improved to 7-3 on the spring, winning his second of two matches at No. 1. For Rose, he snapped a two-match losing streak and improved to 3-5.
Kuzmanovic's win tied the dual at 3-3, then Hodgman clinched it with his 7-5, 2-6, 7-6 (1) victory at No. 3 over Dan Nguyen. Hodgman remains unbeaten this spring at 10-0 and is 6-0 at No. 3 singles.
Senior Scott Warner earned Purdue's first point of day, dispatching Michael Kalfayan at No. 6 singles in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3.
Purdue comes home next weekend for a pair of Big Ten duals. The Boilermakers welcome Illinois on Friday, March 9 at 5 p.m.; the Wisconsin Badgers visit Sunday, March 10 at noon.
Purdue 4, Harvard 3
Singles competition
1. Branko Kuzmanovic (PUR) def. Chris Clayton (HAR) 7-6 (10-8), 6-7 (11-9), 6-1
2. Paul Rose (PUR) def. Scott Denenberg (HAR) 7-6 (7-5), 7-5
3. Eric Hodgman (PUR) def. Dan Nguyen (HAR) 7-5, 2-6, 7-6 (7-1)
4. Ashwin Kumar (HAR) def. Kurt Zaske (PUR) 6-3, 6-3
5. Gideon Valkin (HAR) def. Paul Foley (PUR) 4-6, 6-4, 6-1
6. Scott Warner (PUR) def. Michael Kalfayan (HAR) 6-4, 6-3
Doubles competition
1. Ashwin Kumar/Gideon Valkin (HAR) def. Kurt Zaske/Paul Rose (PUR) 8-2
2. Kiernan Burke/Dan Nguyen (HAR) def. Paul Foley/Branko Kuzmanovic (PUR) 8-2
3. P.J. Rose/Eric Hodgman (PUR) def. Scott Denenberg/Chris Clayton (HAR) 8-5
Match Notes:
Purdue 7-0
Harvard 1-4